by Krista | Mar 9, 2011 | Spring
I arrived at Culinary Experimentation Club Monday night to the unmistakable smell of slow-cooked beef. On any other night such deliciousness would delight me beyond measure but this night was supposed to be the first of an entire month of vegetarian cooking.
Hmmm.
The guilty smiles and furtive looks from the menfolk assured me that indeed a mutiny was afoot. My ears were soon assaulted with all manner of excuses for their rebellion, including their assertion that “cows are vegetarian!”
In the end, it was the beef itself that won me over. Slow-cooked in sherry, hard cider, shallots and potatoes, it was fork tender and perfect with the rich gravy.
The rebellious meat-cookers were soundly forgiven.
It was definitely an evening of good-natured kerfuffles. Even simple biscuits caused a ruckus! Robin brought out a platter of her tender Lemon Thyme Biscuits and scolded us when we mistook them for scones. This started a discussion on what exactly the difference is between biscuits and scones. We have no idea. Whatever their “real” name, they are now officially known as Robin’s Lemon Thyme Scone-Shaped Biscuits.
To accompany the Vegetarian Pot Roast I made my favorite Aussie roast potatoes with Kalamata olives. It’s a wonderfully simple dish yet absolutely packed with flavor, and I’ve been craving it ever since I got back from Australia. I will share the recipe with you in an Australia post coming soon.
Robin contributed fantastic Curried Carrots, plump and soft, cooked in a savory sauce that was so good I wanted to scrape out the pan for every last drop.
We ended our night with a soak in the hot tub and rousing games of Uno with steaming cups of Darren’s Red Tiramisu tea and Michael’s splendid gluten-free chocolate chip cookie bars.
What is your favorite vegetarian dish?
by Krista | Mar 8, 2011 | Gulliver Tuesday
There are few things more relaxing to me than several hours spent lounging in a hammock, eyes closed, gently swaying in passing breezes.
It’s even more wonderful when that hammock is slung between two palm trees on a white sand beach in Fiji, mere yards away from the South Pacific.
I found such an idyllic spot on my recent trip to Fiji as I was strolling the fairytale beaches of Denarau Island. Astonished that it was vacant I strode over, kicked off my shoes, and sank back into hammock heaven.
The ropes were soft with just enough give to cradle you like a newborn baby. Above me the palm fronds rustled and the gentle lap of the waves lulled me into delicious stupor.
How long I lay there I don’t know, but suddenly I heard a soft voice saying, “Bula, Madame.” I opened my eyes to find a smiling man wondering if I would like a drink from the hotel bar nearby. I only had to think for a moment before grinning and requesting a glass of fresh mango juice. Perhaps it’s because my first trip to Fiji coincided with Mango Week in all the restaurants, but nothing quite says vacation to me like a frosty glass of cold, freshly pressed mango juice.
When he brought it to me moments later in a turquoise goblet, my bliss was complete.
I’ve returned to that hammock many times, usually with book, towel, and swimsuit in tow, delighting in peaceful afternoons of reading, swimming, snoozing, and just gazing out to sea.
Here are a few lessons I’ve learned in how to really enjoy a hammock in Fiji:
- Go to the bathroom BEFORE finding your hammock. Don’t let the call of nature force you to give up your place to other marauding vacationers.
- Stake your claim first thing in the morning. Hammocks are treasured spots along the beach. Getting up and about while others sleep in is the most reliable way to secure one.
- Go at noon or dinner. If you just can’t pass up a morning sleeping in to the sound of waves crashing, go scouting for a hammock when folks are otherwise occupied with eating.
- Bring a well-stocked beach bag: water, snacks, great book, journal and pen, towel, sunglasses, sun hat, camera, room key, sunscreen, and watch.
- Spread your towel on your hammock to keep your hind quarters from looking like they’ve been branded by said hammock.
- Tuck your beach bag under a corner of your towel so you can nap without worrying about your belongings.
- Then lay back, close your eyes, and let the sea breezes rock you to sleep.
What is your ideal scenario for relaxing?
by Krista | Mar 7, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
Sometimes when I’m walking in the woods I forget to look up. I get distracted by a gurgling stream or finding treasures on the forest floor. But when I do remember and turn my gaze up to sky and branches, I inevitably smile.
I did it recently, just as the sun was slipping behind the trees and I loved how the branches were etched against the sky, looking almost like pieces of lace.
How was your weekend? Mine was painful physically but so lovely in all other ways. I have much to be grateful for.
- a bright and shiny turquoise balloon swaying in the blast of my heater
- good talks and scrumptious food with kindred spirits
- a gorgeous bouquet of roses on my counter
- a drive in the sunshine
- Old Time Radio mysteries to entertain me when I rest
I’m also grateful for comfort food like Cracker Salad. It’s a family favorite and one I tend to forget about until a sudden craving hits. Such a thing happened this weekend and I hustled to the grocery store to get the fixings. It’s simple as can be, so easy you hardly need measurements.
Break up a sleeve of saltine crackers (I use whole-grain to assuage my conscience) into a bowl, add sliced green onion, two diced tomatoes, fresh ground pepper, and a big spoonful of mayonnaise, mix it all together and eat immediately.
What is your favorite memory from this weekend?
Cracker Salad
Ingredients:
1 sleeve whole grain saltine crackers
2 green onions, sliced
2-3 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4-1/3 cup mayonnaise
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
- Break up crackers into medium bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir until well-mixed.
- Serve immediately.
by Krista | Mar 4, 2011 | Fabulous Friday
Hello luvs. How was your week? Are you oh-so-happy it’s Friday? Me too. 🙂
I’m sleepy today, feeling dreamy and quiet and finding it quite marvelous to get lost in pictures of beautiful places of warmth and sunshine and solitude. Like this grassy shore on Denarau Island, Fiji dotted with beguiling places to sit and stare out to sea.
I’ve become quite entranced with the ocean of late, reading all sorts of books on underwater research and discovery. I love reading about submersibles, picturing folks bobbing along under the water seeing creatures and shipwrecks and all manner of interesting caves and rock formations. Even thinking about being down there myself makes me feel claustrophobic with a sudden need to take deep gulps of air, but I do like seeing those worlds through others eyes.
My weekend has started off beautifully with a jolly dinner with my grandparents. They showed me old pictures and told me all sorts of great stories about their life in Denmark before immigrating to Canada. I loved it.
I’m really looking forward to good visits with dear friends, sleeping in and buying groceries. I’m craving potatoes something fierce!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend and would love to hear what interesting things you’ve been learning about lately. 🙂
by Krista | Mar 3, 2011 | Plucky Thursday
It was a gorgeously sunny morning in Australia as my friend and I loaded up the ute with towels, water bottles and sunscreen for a day at the beautiful Gold Coast. (Click here to see pictures!)
Rather than just drive straight to the beach, we decided to leave bright and early and mosey along at our leisure, stopping wherever took our fancy.
In the small town of Beaudesert, Queensland we decided it was high time for a coffee break and found the perfect spot at Central Perk Coffee.
Run by a very cheery man, Central Perk Coffee was a tidy spot featuring a shiny glass case filled with all manner of tempting goodies. We perused the offerings and finally settled on Sticky Date Cake with Caramel Sauce for my friend…
…and a moist and tender slice of banana bread for me. Warm and topped with cream cheese frosting and melted butter, it was a marvelous addition to my morning.
One of my favorite things to drink in Australia is iced coffee. None of this plain coffee with ice cubes business, it is a decadent confection of coffee, milk, ice cream, whipped cream and syrup that makes me swoon every time.
After our lovely break we continued on our merry way, only deviating from our path when I saw a sign for a historical point of interest called the Laheys Canungra Tramway Tunnel. I couldn’t resist such a title and we simply had to stop.
The tunnel is located a short five minute walk from the road down a path that meanders through the forest. We were serenaded by thousands of cicadas as we walked. I couldn’t see a single one but they made a deafening chorus that made you feel like your brain was buzzing.
The Laheys Canungra Tramway Tunnel is part of a large scale, privately constructed and operated tramway constructed in 1900 by the Lahey brothers, immigrants from Ireland. It was used as part of the tramway to transport timber from the valleys in the south up and down the very steep hills to their mill in Canungra. The total length of track laid amounted to 26½ km and in 1915 alone, 15,000 tons of logs were hauled to the mill.
Belts of native vegetation were preserved alongside the tram tracks, and the route was known for its beauty as it curved among waterfalls, ferns and thick scrub. Locals used it for their everyday transportation needs. Some folks simply sat atop the logs, while children used the tramway for rides to school and picnickers hitched rides to their destinations.
Laheys Canungra Tramway Tunnel operated from the early 1900’s until about 1930. The tunnel was later used as a munitions dump during World War II.
The tunnel is empty now, large, dark, and wonderfully cool with a lovely breeze blowing through. It’s a nice respite on a blazing hot day. The ground is fairly level and safe for exploring, though you’ll want to watch out for the occasional puddle hiding in the darkness.
Laheys Canungra Tramway Tunnel
Directions:
Head out of Canungra along Beaudesert Nerang Road.
Watch for a sign and pull into the parking area off to the right.
Follow the path down to the tunnel and a small picnic area.
What is your favorite dessert to have on a coffee break?
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